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The following is an article from Uncle John's Fully Loaded 25th Anniversary Bathroom Reader.
(Image credit: Flickr user Doug Wertman)
NFL games weren't always the mega-events they are today. What changed them? The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
On November 5, 1967, the Dallas Cowboys were hosting the Atlanta Falcons at the Cotton Bowl. During a break in the action, one of the spectators, "Bubbles" Cash, a well-known Dallas burlesque performer, decided to put on an impromptu performance. Dressed in a fringe halter top, short-shorts, and cowboy boots, and carrying cotton candy in each hand (to resemble pompoms), Cash jumped onto the field and strutted right down the 50-yard line, turning the heads of fans, players, and coaches as she went.
As the story made headlines, Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm was intrigued. Pro football was at a moment of change -the first Super Bowl had been held earlier that year, and Schramm was looking for ways to raise the team's profile …and increase its revenue. The answer, he realized, was in turning the games from regionally popular athletic contests into national entertainment. Inspired by Cash's stunt, Schramm decided to inject some sex appeal into the Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys already had a cheerleading squad called the CowBelles & Beaux. Adhering to the traditional Ivy League cheerleader format, the squad was co-ed; they led cheers and boosted team morale with rally cries and athletic stunts. And the CowBelles & Beaux crew was made up entirely of high school students. But in 1969, Schramm began putting his burlesque-inspired changes into motion. He dropped the male cheerleaders and simplified the squad's name to the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. By 1970 he'd hired a director and charged her with altering the routines to make them more dance-oriented and less acrobatic.
In 1972 Schramm hired Texie Waterman, a Dallas choreographer who had worked in television (as a dancer on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows), to select and train a completely different squad. Requirements: The girls all had to be over 18, they had to be attractive, and they had to have talent. Schramm also asked Waterman to provide her crew with provocative uniforms.
(Image credit: Flickr user Doug Wertman)
Waterman hired designer Jody Van Amburgh to come up with something distinctly different from the classic sweater-and-skirt combo. The result: a fringed blue-and-white halter top (Cowboys team colors), white short-shorts, a belt buckle, and tall white boots (Sound familiar?) Seamstress Laveta Crager made all the uniforms by hand -and did all the tailoring work on every single outfit until 1996. With some minor changes (crystals added to fringe, belt buckle removed and then added back), today's Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniforms are basically the same as the ones from 1972 -the design is even a registered trademark.
The Dallas Cowboys became one of the NFL's most successful teams. They went to four Super Bowls in the 1970s, earning the nickname "America's Team." Their cheerleaders, meanwhile, became a pop culture phenomenon.
1996 USO tour, Tuzla Main Base, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
* The squad, with new members every season, went on USO tours and became a fixture on 1970s TV variety shows.
* A TV special, The 36 Most beautiful Girls In Texas, aired in 1978 before a Cowboys game on ABC's Monday Night Football.
* The squad guest-starred on a two-part episode of The Love Boat in 1979, and appeared for "celebrity week" on Family Feud.
* A 1979 made-for-TV movie called The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (costarring Bert Convy and Jane Seymour) was a big hit, and a sequel followed a year later.
* Through the 1980s and '90s, calendars, posters, and other merchandise bearing the image of the scantily-clad cheerleaders flew off store shelves, and the Cheerleaders continued to make TV appearances, from Saturday Night Live to Hee Haw.
(Image credit: Flickr user Doug Wertman)
Before long other NFL teams followed suit and started cheerleading squads using the Cowboys formula -young women in small costumes dancing around on the sidelines, posing for calendars, and making public appearances. Some of the squads that started in the '70s include the Chicago Honey Bears, the Cincinnati Ben Gals, the Dolphin Starbrites, the New Orleans Saintsations, the Liberty Bells (for the Philadelphia Eagles), the Swashbucklers (for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and the Derrick Dolls (for the Houston Oilers).
But the Cowboys are still the most famous. Through merchandise sales and public events, the squad currently earns more than $1 million per year for the franchise, but their value in shining a spotlight on pro football, and on the Dallas Cowboys, is immeasurable. Or maybe not. As of 2010, the Cowboys are one of just five football teams worth an estimated $1 billion or more.
This article is reprinted with permission from Uncle John's Fully Loaded Bathroom Reader.
Get ready to be thoroughly entertained while occupied on the throne. Uncle John has ruled the world of information and humor for 25 years, and the anniversary edition is the Fully Loaded Bathroom Reader.
Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts. If you like Neatorama, you'll love the Bathroom Reader Institute's books - go ahead and check 'em out!
I once read that the average football game has something like only 11 minutes of actual play. It's like watching paint dry. No wonder they had to sex it up somehow - it probably would have gone the way of the dinosaur, otherwise.


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The days leading up to the annual Met Gala are always filled with palpable excitement as Hollywood starlets scramble to find fabulous frocks and designers work overtime to make sure their pieces are perfect before being paraded down the red carpet.
This year, however, that pre-gala period had a black cloud hanging over it as the unthinkable was announced: Kim Kardashian would be attending this year's event.
That's right. The much-maligned reality star somehow landed an invitation to the fashion world's biggest night, where A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Katie Holmes rub elbows with fabled designers — from Diane Von Furstenberg to Vivienne Westwood and Vera Wang — and fashion plates like Sarah Jessica Parker and Blake Lively.
The mom-to-be hit the red carpet Monday night with her baby daddy Kanye West, and while "Punk: Chaos to Couture" was the theme for the evening, it looked like Kardashian had mistakenly thought it was "gardening."
The 31-year-old donned a head-to-toe floral patterned Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci gown. And we mean head-to-toe. The dress featured long sleeves, a high neck, gloves, and even shoes in the same pattern. The fitted frock also prominently showed off her baby bump.
Kim and boyfriend Kanye West donned the same designer. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)"I love fashion and I really am excited to see everyone's take on punk," Kardashian told Vogue as she made her way into the style soiree. "I know it's different for everyone and everyone has their own take on it."
And no, she never went through a punk phase. "I really didn't. That's why I think Riccardo's vision of punk for me is the subtle version."
Her main squeeze also went with a Tisci ensemble, though he kept things quite a bit simpler in his black suit and plain white dress shirt.
West, 35, attended the event last year, but his girlfriend was noticeably absent from his arm and rumors swirled that Vogue editor-in-chief and gala co-host Anna Wintour had banned the reality star.
Oh, how times have changed. This year Kardashian not only made the star-studded guest list, she was also invited to dine with West at Wintour's Manhattan home the night before. (Yes, really!)
As for how Kardashian wound up receiving the royal treatment this time around, some have speculated that Tisci, one of the evening's co-hosts called in the favor since he's close with West.
Kim, you owe him one.

subset: commoncrawl


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You'll be able to eat the foods you could eat when you previously had real, healthy teeth. Because of this distinctive practical advantage, dental implants are more than a cosmetic option. Find out more about complete set implants here http://www.teeth-implants.co.uk/implants/complete-set/ People that have stains or discolouration could opt for laser whitening to whiten a tooth. You might want to have veneers fitted if you have any damages or you would like to improve the appearance of your smile. When they are overcrowded or they are crooked with gaps, braces can rectify the tooth placement and bite to give a better appearance. Sometimes athletes or other individuals get facial injury which can end in misplaced teeth or harm to their jaw bones. Our professionals of skilled dental practitioners will be able to use implants to fix a tooth that has been lost, and even consult with additional medical doctors to help repair any complications with your jaw bone.
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Contact our team right away if you want to speak about smile makeovers and cosmetic dentistry or any of the other treatments we can carry out. Our team will be glad to examine exactly what you need and arrange an appointment as soon as possible.


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A group of international banks in partnership with enterprise blockchain software firm R3 have completed a live commercial paper transaction based on blockchain platform Corda, Finextra reported Dec. 6.
The transaction was implemented on the Corda-based Euro Debt Solution application developed by R3, with German banking and financial services company Commerzbank, French corporate and investment bank Natixis, and Dutch financial services firm Rabobank as the participant.
In the course of transaction, Natixis reportedly issued 100,000 euro ($113,722) notional, while Rabobank acted as the incestor and ING as both dealer and escrow agent. Commerzbank developed the pilot framework, software and distributed ledger (DLT) network for the trade, and instructions on regulatory implications.
The banks have also developed a legal framework for the project in cooperation with external counsel Allen and Overy. Marnix Bruning, head of money market and central bank sales at ING reportedly said that the initiative "marks the start of building an improved DLT platform that enables direct settlement and reduces operational risk and costs at the same time."
Launched in 2016, Corda is a decentralized platform based on the Ethereum blockchain, that is geared for use by financial institutions. Corda purportedly enables businesses to build interoperable blockchain networks that transact directly and privately.
Financial institutions around the world have been actively implementing blockchain technology into their operations. Yesterday, Cointelegraph reported that Brazil's largest private bank partnered with United Kingdom bank Standard Chartered to create a blockchain-based platform for small loans. The two parties successfully conducted a proof-of-concept for the platform based on R3's Corda Connect.
Also this week, Saudi Arabian developmental institution the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) partnered with a Tunisian startup iFinTech Solutions to develop interbank blockchain tools. The new offerings will purportely improve Islamic financial institutions' liquidity management and increase overall efficiency.
Source link


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Let's start with the finished drawing by Xubucheng. (Edit) Blog reader ZS has generously translated the Chinese notes in the book, which I'll show in bold after each step, followed by my own observations about what he seems to be doing.
(Translation) "1A. Be sure of the position/alignment of the head, and get the block in right."
1B. Use simple straight lines to mark out the shape/contour of the head, locking in the basic positions of the eyes, nose and mouth and ears. 35 minutes."
(My observation) In the the first step he doesn't copy contours, nor does he place spots. His framework is built from nearly straight line segments bounding important lines at the edges of the form.
He's also looking within the form for big plane changes (brow, cheek, chin) and for feature placement. Since this is an upshot, the lines for the brow, eyes, bottom of the nose and mouth are parallel, slanting downward in perspective. The ear and nose are roughed out in a few simple lines. These lines are drawn with controlled sweeping movements of the arm.
(35 minutes."
3. "Once the features have taken form, use shapes of light and shadow to delineate/differentiate the values, thereby achieving clear and accurate form and overall completion of the drawing. [ Trans. Note: I think he means overall coverage and composition of the picture, all that is left is detailing.] (45 minutes)."
In the penultimate stage, the planes are defined in terms of tone, drawn with parallel lines and a slight amount of smudging.
(Final stage--see first image in post) 4. "While in the process of drawing, always remember to compare the value relationship, structural relationship of the features, taking notes of the prominent/striking features on the face, and constant cross-checking and measurement until the portrait is complete."
(65 minutes)(total time 3 hours)
With the structure of shape, line, tone, and form established, he can resolve the smaller nuances to arrive at the drawing you saw at the opening of the post.
So there you go, Charles, and thanks for translating, ZS. If there's anyone out there trained in this method, I'd welcome your help in the comments.
Previous post: Chinese-Russian drawing
Russian Art Academy (interview with Professor Sergey Chubirko)


text: So, you thought today was the day Rihanna and Chris Brown would stop broadcasting the rekindling of their companionship, kissiness, musical collaboration, and possibly love? IT'S NOT. Rihanna, in Germany for a Brown concert, just Instagrammed this photo of herself and the new Twitter exile, captioning it, "i dont wanna leave!!! Killed it tonight baby!!!" Awesome. The fact that Rihanna is celebrating her first No. 1 album — the one that debuted with 100,000 more copies sold than Brown's Fortune — by jetting to Europe, straight after the grueling 777 Tour, to hang out with a guy who not only beat her but basically tattooed a memento of the special moment onto his own neck, is just … ah, screw it. Starting to sound like Rihanna's dad. (Although not, because her actual dad loves Chris Brown!!) Exhausting, these two.


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Seats in this category are in stock and available for same-business day shipping.
AVOID SHIPPING COSTS: All "In Stock" seats are available for In-Store Pick-Up at our Lodi, NJ location. Continental US Shipping is posted in each product page. Canada shipments will be calculated. All other international countries please contact us to order.
Thank you for the opportunity to be of service to you. We appreciate you keeping America moving!


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ATLANTA , GEORGIA - UNICOM Global will be the exclusive Platinum sponsor at the upcoming SHARE user conference, to be held at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, from March 12-16, 2012. SHARE is the largest gathering of users of IBM mainframe professionals in the world, featuring a week of informative sessions and a Technology Expo featuring independent software vendors from around the world. UNICOM Global's CEO, Corry Hong, who was recently featured on the cover of Mainframe Executive magazine, will be attending the SHARE conference and delivering special presentations to the attendees.
As the Platinum Sponsor for the SHARE conferences, UNICOM will be participating in many sessions as well as providing sponsorship for a variety of facilities and events for the conference attendees. This includes:
UNICOM Global has been providing software and services to IBM mainframe customers since 1981, and this special sponsorship and support of the SHARE event is one way UNICOM is returning value and support to the community. In 2012, UNICOM is also sponsoring a 20-city tour across the United States and Europe where Corry will be meeting with customers and partners to strengthen the relationships and look for new ways to grow together.


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The torrent of social media evidence continues to grow. In November 2011 we searched online legal databases of state and federal court decisions across the United States to identify the number of cases from 2010 and through November 2011 where evidence from social networking sites played a significant role. As we mentioned then, the numbers exceeded even our high expectations. Recently, we revisited the survey with a little more detail to include results for all of 2011 to be sure we eliminated duplicate entries as well as de minimis entries — defined as cases with merely cursory or passing mentions of social media.
Under these criteria, the more exact number came up to 689 cases. Our raw data and tallying methodology is now public, with the spreadsheet available here, allowing for anyone to review the cases and provide your own analysis. The vast majority of the cases are accessible for free on Google Scholar. About 5 percent of the listed cases are only available by subscription to Westlaw or LexisNexis.
The search, limited to the top four social networking sites, tallied as follows: MySpace (315 cases), Facebook (304), LinkedIn (39) Twitter (30). Oh, and my colleague Tod Cole insisted that I mention the lone Foursquare case. From the detailed review, a significant percentage, if not the majority of the MySpace cases involved criminal matters. Facebook mentions were trending up with MySpace trending down as cases with more recent facts worked their way through the system.
Criminal matters marked the most common category of cases involving social media evidence, followed by employment related litigation, insurance claims/personal injury, family law and general business litigation (trademark infringement/libel/ unfair competition). As only a very small number of cases involve a published decision that we can access online, it is safe to assume that several thousand, if not tens of thousands more cases involved social media evidence during this time period. Even so, this limited survey is an important data point establishing the ubiquitous nature of social media evidence and the importance of best practices technology to search and collect this data for litigation and compliance requirements.


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The opening track is harmless enough, but then we get the songs that feature Solo's high, thin-to-screechy and
frequently off-pitch singing that is nevertheless full of sincerity and passion - he means these songs. And some of the songwriting actually is catchy - the title song has a pretty interesting West African feel to it, and I get "White Doves of Seville" (my favorite track) stuck in my head for days, even if Solos' voice causes me to occasionally wince.
And I like his quote on the back cover: "To understand proverbs and parables is to have wisdom and understanding." So...to have understanding is to have understanding..?


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The economy of Germany is the largest national economy in Europe, the fourth largest by nominal GDP in the world. The service sector contributes around 70% of the total GDP, industry 29.1%, and agriculture 0.9%. Most of the country's products are in engineering, especially in automobiles, machinery, metals, and chemical goods. Germany is the leading producer of wind turbines and solar power technology in the world.
Munich is the capital city of Bavaria and is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich has the strongest economy of any German city, as well as the lowest unemployment rate of any German city with more than a million people. The city is also the economic centre of southern Germany.
Munich has an overall cost of living index which equates it with high cost of living locations. The overall cost of living index is comprised of the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across all 13 Basket Groups.
The latest cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is now available.


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I'm seeing more and more marketing showing up about so-called crowd funding these days. Sorry, but no. Not yet. Reports of crowdfunding in the U.S. are, as of today, just wishful thinking.
That is, to be sure, unless you play with definitions. For example, if you call KickStarter crowdfunding, then yes, Kickstarter is a great source of prepaid sales and donations, great to validate sales, and it's healthy and growing. And Kiva too, is an excellent source of small loans for startups. However, much as I like both, neither of those is crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is supposed to mean lots of people each buying small shares of a startup or small business to fund it. Crowdfunding is about equity. People who contribute their money in crowdfunding get ownership in the business.
And that, sadly, is not happening in the U.S. today. Yes, as the Wikipedia definition here suggests, the JOBS act of 2012 was supposed to open the door to crowdfunding; but it didn't. What was supposed to happen was the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was supposed to publish regulations to open up startup investing to more people investing smaller amounts without as many restrictions as before. And it didn't.
The angel investment group I'm a member of, the Willamette Angel Conference in Eugene and Corvallis, OR, just finished its 2014 investment in a startup. Despite the promise of the 2012 law and the celebrations that followed, angel investing is now regulated and restricted even tighter than it was before. Our group joined six other angel investment groups in our state to figure out how to implement the regulations published last year. And the result: tighter controls, not looser.
Since our group started in 2009, we were always limited to what the SEC calls accredited investors. We always had to be careful not to advertise our meetings or recruit members openly, meaning that we could only recruit specific people who we had good reason to believe met the SEC qualifications.
Specifically, how is it tighter? This year, despite the myth of crowdfunding, we had to be much more careful than before. Our investment is coordinated with a local event to highlight the availability of angel investment in our region. In all past years, we had five finalist startups presenting their pitch to an audience of 200 or so local people interested in startups. The audience included the 35 or so member angel investors, of course. This year, however, we couldn't have our finalist startups share their full pitch with the audience because the vague SEC regulations led some attorneys to worry that we'd be hurting the startups by making them guilty of a general solicitation.
To be honest, I'm not that anxious to see real crowdfunding happening. I'm not at all sure it will be the boon to startups we all think. Given that spammers are still making money by promising to enlarge body parts, people are still making some dumb choices on how they spend their money over the web. All we need is a well-publicized fraud to lead public opinion on crowdfunding, and step by step things will get worse, not better. Or so I fear.
But for now, at least: No, there is no crowdfunding going on in the U.S. Angel investment is still restricted to accredited investors only.
This article was originally published by Tim Berry
Published: June 16, 2014
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I had met him earlier in the year and was impressed by his quiet strength. He didn't let the faster times of other athletes intimidate him. He trained hard for that moment, and he didn't give up. Many times when a run got boring, I would re-create his dramatic victory and use that inspiration. Eight years later, I was running in Mills's event in the Munich Olympics because I moved from last place in the mile to a second place at the finish at the Olympic Trials.
More: How Top Marathoners Succeed at the U.S. Olympic Trials
The secret is to use this motivational push without pushing too hard. If you aren't running much lately or have not been running fast, don't start too fast or go too far. Slow and gentle running with walk breaks can make you feel good while reducing the chance of aches, pains and injury.
More: How Competitive Are You?
If you're coming off the couch, gradually increase to three runs a week (runs every other day) to 30 minutes each. To avoid injuries, use my run-walk-run method, available at www.jeffgalloway.com. Avoid huffing and puffing on these runs--even at the end--and take walk breaks from the first minute.When you can run (and walk) comfortably for 30 minutes on three weekly runs, increase the distance of one run a week by half a mile. This long run should be one to two minutes slower than the other runs, with more walk breaks.
There is an excellent reality check called the "magic mile" at www.jeffgalloway.com. Follow the instructions and set a realistic pace for your current level of conditioning. It's always better to go slower on a given day.
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Diamond Eternity Band Ring (Platinum; c. 0.25ct)
Diamond Eternity Band Ring (Platinum; c. 0.25ct)
We love classic rings and they don't come much more classic than an eternity band ring. This pretty Art Deco period ring is platinum and set with 0.25 carat of beautiful old cut diamonds. The band also has a lovely engraving around around the sides of the band.
This would make a beautiful anniversary band or a lovely sparkly ring for stacking with others.
Size L (UK) / 5.75 (US)
Weight: 2.7g
This piece has been specifically selected by us, for you. We choose vintage and antique items which we think are beautiful, elegant and classic at a range of price points between £30 and £3,000.
Generally, this means we only ever have one of each piece. We don't select pieces which are "mass market" but rather items which are more individual. This means that once an item has been purchased, it really has gone.
Each piece comes in an attractive jewellery presentation box.
That's a wrap!
We offer a wrapping service if you would like to send an item of jewellery as a gift - just get in touch!
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We are therefore happy to accept a return of any purchase for any reason (you don't need to tell us why but it may help us find an alternative for you) if you tell us within 14 days of receiving your item. -
Ring resizing
We offer an in-house ring re-sizing service. Please contact us if the ring you like is not in your size, we will advise you whether it can be re-sized and will give you a no obligation quote.


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{Party Feature} Superhero Staff Appreciation Week!
Teachers work hard, y'all! And I think it's obvious they don't get the appreciation they deserve, so when Maegan of Simply Styled Home sent over this staff appreciation party she did for her daughter's school, we just knew we had to share it! I love that there was a fun new detail each day of the week! I think my favorite detail are the comic-like posters she created to hang in the school hallways. Such a fun touch that I'm sure the kids got a kick out of as well! Read on as Maegan shares more of the superhero details!
"A week and a half before Superhero Staff Appreciation Week, all of the teachers and staff received this invitation in their mailbox, along with a lunch preferences questionnaire and drink order form (more about those down below).
Superhero posters were our main decoration this year. John Wolfe, a local photographer and fellow parent, took pictures of everyone decked out in a customized superhero cape and mask from Kid Kapers. I have been eyeing those capes for months and was thrilled that she had time to make a Superman style cape with an "M" for Mann Elementary. It couldn't have been more perfect. Did you know you could have capes customized? How fun is that?! I love Etsy.
Originally I had planned on using the pictures John took as is, but then I got the great idea (if I do say so myself) to turn them into comic book style posters with advice from each staff member to students. John transformed each photo into a comic book style poster which I used to decorate the hallways, and an 8×10 photo for the classroom doors.
The teachers and staff also took home a Superhero Award at the end of the week. They are after all, the most amazing superheros I know." – Maegan, Simply Styled Home
I hope you enjoyed these ideas as much as we did! What has your school done to show appreciation towards it's teachers? We'd love to hear!
Three Monkey's Cakery
The Splendid Sweet Shoppe
Sweet Tweets
Decadent Cake Pops
Wickedly Whipped
Superhero Printables
Photographed by Maegan Birr


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The Scythes on this mausoleum in the village of Saint~Cirq~Lapopie, represents the cuttting of mortal ties with the land of the living, as the Souls of the recently deceased are harvested by the Grim Reaper.
Inside the mausoleum
The beautifully detailed Winged Hourglass on the lower half of the door depicts the swift passage of time.
Here's another pair of Scythes, this time from Cahors Cemetery, France.


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Peter M. Budraitis Photography creates First Holy Communion Portraits like no others!
Each communion portrait comes alive, capturing the magic of this monumental occasion in a child's life in what can only be described as a true "work of art!" Don't settle for less! Peter M. Budraitis Photography specializes in First Communion Portraits and Photography, drawing clients from throughout Long Island and the tri-state area.
In his state-of-the-art photography studio in Glen Cove, NY Peter M. Budraitis Photography offers an unusually large selection of beautiful backgrounds with a wide array of props to complement your First Communion Portrait. Each portrait session is personalized to the individual first communion recipient typically yielding over a dozen unique poses. Portrait sessions are scheduled by individual appointment so there are no lines and no waiting.
Included in every First Communion Portrait Session:
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- B & W, sepia toned and special effects available on any custom print
- Portrait selection consultation


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Podcast: Gaza's Strength, Our Weakness | Shaykha Zaynab Ansari
From The Chaplain's Desk: Prep Guide For Ramadan On Campus
Courtship Stories From The MSA: You Found "The One" In Your MSA [Part 5]
Taking Lessons from The Strength of Maryam, Mother of Jesus
From The Chaplain's Desk: Sayyid Al-Istighfar – The Greatest Dua For Seeking Forgiveness
Podcast: Why Should Muslims Fight for Human Rights?
Prophetic Lessons From The Muslim Men In Gaza
Podcast: Muslim Fatherhood & Masculinity Beyond the Manosphere | Sh Mohammad Elshinawy
Real Time Scholasticide: The War On Education In Gaza
The Apiary – A Short Story
Podcast: Sitti's Key: A Palestinian Tale | Sahar Khader
From the MuslimMatters Bookshelf: Black (Muslim) History Month Reads
If You Could Speak : A Poem
"What Did You Just Say?" : Introducing The New MM Open Letter Series I Dear Mr. Fareed Zakaria
Over Five Decades On: Bangladesh's Crisis Of Islam, Politics, And Justice
"What Did You Just Say?" : The MM Open Letter Series I Dear Ms. Julia Hartley-Brewer
The sun was going down. Safaa had never called me back. I should go home and rest, but I wanted to pursue this lead. My wounded...


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Google's Larry Page to Wed on Sir Richard Branson's Private Caribbean Isle
We're a little miffed to not be on the 600-strong invite list to Larry Page's wedding, which is going down this weekend on Sir Richard Branson's private Caribbean island (he's got to have a Dr. No-ish clandestine research lab there, right?) What with all the love we give to the exploits of Google and Sir Richard, you'd think they'd be in a position to reciprocate.
Page, who along with co-founder Sergey Brin is worth in the neighborhood of $18.5 billion, will be flying his star studded guest list—Bill & HIllary, Bono (of course)—out to Skull Island Sir Richard's place on private jets. Where they will certainly proceed to get wasted, stuff themselves w/ endangered species, pull pranks on the android butlers, swim with dolphins...no, no, I'm sure it will be quite a lovely and dignified weekend. Nothing against these guys and we wish them all the best. We're just a little jealous. —John Mahoney
(Image: Joe DeVito)


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Windows PowerShell 3 can be used in conjunction with Exchange Server 2013 to automate and manage routine and complex tasks to save time, money, and eliminate errors.
Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 PowerShell Cookbook: Second Edition offers more than 120 recipes and solutions to everyday problems and tasks encountered in the management and administration of Exchange Server. If you want to write scripts that help you create mailboxes, monitor server resources, and generate detailed reports, then this Cookbook is for you.
This practical guide to Powershell and Exchange Server 2013 will help you automate and manage time-consuming and reoccurring tasks quickly and efficiently. Starting by going through key PowerShell concepts and the Exchange Management Shell, this book will get you automating tasks that used to take hours in no time.
With practical recipes on the management of recipients and mailboxes as well as distribution groups and address lists, this book will save you countless hours on repetitive tasks. Diving deeper, you will then manage your mailbox database, client access, and your transport servers with simple but effective scripts.
This book finishes with advanced recipes on Exchange Server problems such as server monitoring as well as maintaining high availability and security. If you want to control every aspect of Exchange Server 2013 and learn how to save time with PowerShell, then this cookbook is for you.
Packt Enterprise books can be summed up through the tagline "Professional Expertise Distilled". They take in-the-trenches knowledge from experienced software professionals, and distil it into a single, easy to follow manuscript.


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Year 1
Welcome to Year 1 September 2023. Our year group comprises:
- 1 Kusama - Mrs Copeman & Miss Blundred & Mrs Mustafaraj
- 1 Goldsworthy - Mrs Hollingsworth, Miss Knapp
- 1 Ringgold - Miss Bibi, Miss Arnold & Mrs Bedford
We are also fortunate enough to be supported by our HLTA, Mrs Burrows, who helps us with additional reading, writing and maths interventions.
Christmas Jumper Day
- Details
- Published: Friday, 09 December 2022 14:23
- Written by Year One
Don't we look amazing in our Christmas jumpers today.
We are raising lots of money for Save the Children.
More Articles ...
Year 1 Curriculum
Blog Guidance
Title | Download |
pdf Blogging Letter to Parents | Download Preview |
pdf Our Blogging Rules | Download Preview |
Year 1 Blog Posts
Recent Comments
Helping at Home
Uniform and PE Kits
Please ensure your child has the correct uniform for school and that all parts fit and are clearly labelled. Current PE days are Tuesday's and Friday's, however children should have their indoor and warm outdoor PE kit in school at all times.
Home Learning and Reading
In year 1, children are asked to be read with at least three times a week. Ideally this would be their reading book but we encourage other books to be read too. Please ensure your child reads their books more than once to help with fluency. Books are changed once a week by the teacher, however there is a book changing box within the classroom, where books can be changed more frequently. In addition to this, they will also have challenge words to read and once they reach set 5, they will start to be sent home spellings. They will be tested on their spellings once a week. Challenge words will be checked fortnightly.
Current Library Sessions (subject to change):
- 1 Goldsworthy: Wednesday pm
- 1 Kandinsky: Thursday pm
- 1 Miro: Friday pm
For homework this year, we would like to begin our 'Wizard Challenge Books'. These will be sent out on a Thursday and should be handed in the following Tuesday. This will enable you to ask any questions or queries you may have on the Friday before the weekend. We will set one piece of work based on learning that has taken place that week in either maths, English or theme. This should be able to be completed by the child independently but may require a little support from you.
Important Dates
· Trip to the Church: Wednesday 31 October.
· Christingle Production: Thursday 29 November 2pm
· 1 Kandinsky's Class Assembly: Friday 8 February
· 1 Miro's Class Assembly: Friday 10 May.
· 1 Goldsworthy's Class Assembly: Friday 14 June.
Could you help?
e are always really grateful for any parent helpers that could offer some time to help us in class. Please also let a member of the Year 1 team know if you are able to help us with our themed learning in any way.


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Well met! and Welcome to Imperia!
Imperia is an in-depth Structured HFFFRPG (Structured High Fantasy Free Form Role Playing Game) that has been in existence for over a decade and a half, founded originally in 1996. Imperia has slowly and steadily grown over the years, attracting only the most creative of players. The setting itself has been made over a decade and a half and is constantly updated, either by the Game Master or by other users. Imperia welcome's any creatively inclined players to try out and create a character. We do have high standards here, but the reward for such high standards, is a cornucopia of fresh and highly motivated players. All of which have a shared interest in the furthering of every one of their characters. And no we do not limit you to just one character, you are free to be as creative as you like with character creations.
For those who are here for information, you've come to the right place. We here at Imperia have a burning desire for role play, we strive for excellence and greatness in all of our players. The type of role play you'll find here is unlike any other channel on IRC. No other channel has the wealth of knowledge and role play experience that we have come to think of as commonplace; some players are still around, even 15 years later from when we first started. Each and every player in Imperia has passed our standards of quality in character creation. As we hold everyone here to the same standards, regardless if they are brand new players, or veterans. Also here at Imperia, we encourage all of you who end up joining, to take an active role in the game's setting. Not just through role play and character creation, but also through setting creation and suggestions. We don't look down on creativity here, we welcome it and hope that with any idea's you may have, you'll present them to an OP or the Game Master.
As for the medium of game play, we are primarily located on the SorceryNet IRC Server channel #Imperia which is our OOC(Out of Character) channel. However we do have a forum which we whole-heartedly encourage you to use, it can be found here. Posting can be done either in Live chat, or on the Forum, either is accepted. To date most users are using the IRC Chat, but we all make use of the Forum, as you will find much information there that is pertinent to the setting, and all character creation is done through the forum. You'll also find role play logs from the IRC chat if the events that happened during role play were important enough to document. The forums are also used for creating news bulletins for In Character news broadcasts over the manacasters. So you'll find some very useful information on our forums, so once again, welcome to Imperia, and we hope you stay a while and become an active and contributing player in our setting.
To begin, just click the image below and enter the site.
Joint Ventures, Affiliates & Awards
All Contents are Copyright ©
1995-Present, Michael Dodd
Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms
of Use.


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(NECN: Jack Thurston, South Burlington, Vt.) - For Brian Bushway, sounds are a form of vision.
"I can relate to my environment in a very comfortable, competent manner," the Los Angeles resident said.
Bushway is completely blind, and has been since he was a teenager, he told New England Cable News. He uses a technique called "active echolocation" to help him navigate the world.
"It is not the same as vision, but it's close enough that I can preview my environment," he explained.
Bushway demonstrated for NECN how he clicks his tongue to perceive differences in the way the sound reverberates back to him. When he clicks toward the empty air, it sounds and feels one way, but when he does it by a car, wall, or other object, the waves bounce off the dense material differently, helping Bushway sense the edges of whatever is in his path.
"The object right about here starts angling down, and then finishes," he said, as he used sound to help him trace the approximate outline of an SUV parked next to an empty parking space.
The Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, or VABVI, brought Bushway and a leader in this emerging field, Daniel Kish, to the Green Mountains for three days of seminars with blind adults, children, and their sighted mobility teachers. Bushway and Kish are advocates for and educators of the practice through the group World Access for the Blind.
The participants were curious to learn more about this idea of "human sonar."
"I think it's certainly something we can use," said Eric Shaw, an orientation and mobility educator for VABVI. "Anything that gets [young students'] attention that ultimately leads to their safe travel, their confidence, their parents seeing they are able to travel like anyone else is what we're looking for."
Steve Smith, the director of animal care for the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center on Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vt., said many species use echolocation for successful lives. Those include whales and dolphins, but most famously, bats, Smith said. Bats can tell the distance between themselves and prey or objects based on how long it takes the sound waves they emit to return to them.
"It's great," Smith said of the use of echolocation by some people. "This development is wonderful, that it can be adapted to use to help humans."
But even backers of the practice, including Bushway and Kish, will admit echolocation is not commonplace, not necessarily for everyone, and not fully accepted by all in the field of educating the blind. However, they insist that, for them, "seeing" through sound is one tool that helped them lead more liberated lives.
"Our bodies will adapt," Bushway said of the way his brain seems to have embraced the interpretation of sound waves as a way to sense his surroundings.
For more information on the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, visit this website.


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Southeast Portland Green Streets Update
Apr 28, 2014 at 10:04 AM 0 Comments
It's hard to believe we last posted on the Division Streetscape and Tabor to the River projects over eight months ago.
Since then, crews have been busy on SE Division Street, constructing the 64 green street facilities, repairing and improving old sewers, and making transportation improvements. The Division Streetscape Project is a combined effort between Environmental Services and Portland Bureau of Transportation.
Environmental Services is also building 13 more green street facilities nearby, at SE Ivon and 41st and near SE Madison and 57th. In addition, two older facilities at SE Grant and 29th are being retrofitted. Learn more about that project here.
Thanks to everyone who lives, works, and travels through the Division Streetscape area for your continued patience with this major construction! A more safe and beautiful street with modern sewer and stormwater infrastructure will be the result.
- Construction on Ivon-Madison is expected to be complete this month.
- Construction on Division Street continues through the summer and fall.
- Crews will completely repave Division Street from SE 11th to SE Cesar Chavez Boulevard later this summer.
- The finishing touches will include plants and public art installation. The green street facilities will be planted this fall, after repaving is complete and in time for fall rain.
All of these projects are part of the part of the Tabor to the River Program. When the Division Street and Ivon-Madison green street facilities are complete, there will be a total of 215 completed green streets in the Tabor to the River area, keeping millions of gallons of stormwater runoff out of sewer pipes and adding nature to the busy Division Street corridor.
What's next for Tabor to the River? There are more green streets in design now for the Brooklyn neighborhood (the Lower Powell Sewer and Green Street Project). The project will replace and repair about 4,000 feet of pipe, construct about 20 green street facilities to keep stormwater out of sewers, and plant trees to absorb rain and reduce runoff.
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To schedule an appointment with a member of our Gynecologic Specialty Surgery team, please call 212-305-1107.
What is a hysterectomy?
Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. Different portions of the uterus, as well as other organs, may be removed at the same time. More than 600,000 hysterectomies are performed in the U.S. each year. Hysterectomy is the second most common major operation in women of child bearing age. The most common conditions for hysterectomy are fibroid tumors, endometriosis, and uterine prolapse.
The following are several possible causes or reasons for hysterectomy:
- Fibroid tumors: Non-malignant tumors may grow and become large, causing pressure on other organs and possibly heavy bleeding or pelvic pain.
- Endometriosis: Endometrial cells sometimes grow outside of the uterus, attach themselves to other organs in the pelvic cavity, and bleed each month in accordance with an ovarian cycle. This can result in chronic pelvic pain, pain during sex, and prolonged or heavy bleeding.
- Endometrial hyperplasia: A cause of abnormal bleeding, this over-thickening of the uterine lining is often due to the presence of very high levels of estrogen.
- Cancer: Approximately 10 percent of hysterectomies are performed to treat cancer - either cervical, ovarian, or endometrial.
- Blockage of the bladder or intestines: A hysterectomy may be performed if there is a blockage of the bladder or intestines by the uterus or a growth.
What are the different types of hysterectomy?
- Total Hysterectomy: Includes the removal of the entire uterus, including the fundus (the part of the uterus above the openings of the fallopian tubes) and the cervix, but not the ovaries. This is the most common type of hysterectomy.
- Hysterectomy with Bilateral Oophorectomy: Includes the removal of one or both ovaries, and sometimes the fallopian tubes, along with the uterus.
- Hysterectomy with Bilateral Oophorectomy: Includes the removal of one or both ovaries, and sometimes the fallopian tubes, along with the uterus.
- Supracervical Hysterectomy (Partial or Subtotal Hysterectomy): Removal of the body of the uterus while leaving the cervix intact.
What can I expect from the procedure?
- Abdominal hysterectomy: The uterus is removed through the abdomen via a surgical incision about six to eight inches long. This procedure is most commonly used when the ovaries and fallopian tubes are being removed, when the uterus is enlarged, or when disease has spread to the pelvic cavity, as in endometriosis or cancer. The main surgical incision can be made either vertically, from the navel down to the pubic bone, or horizontally, along the top of the pubic hairline.
- Vaginal hysterectomy: The uterus is removed through the vaginal opening. This procedure is most often used in cases of uterine prolapse, or when vaginal repairs are necessary for related conditions. No external incision is made, which means there is no visible scarring.
- Laparoscope-assisted vaginal hysterectomy: Vaginal hysterectomy is performed with the aid of a laparoscope, a thin, flexible tube containing a video camera. Thin tubes are inserted through tiny incisions in the abdomen near the navel. The uterus is then removed in sections through the laparoscope tube or through the vagina.
The type of hysterectomy performed and the technique used to perform the procedure will be determined by your physician, based upon your particular situation. For women who have not yet reached menopause, having a hysterectomy means that menstruation will no longer occur, nor will pregnancy be possible.


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Congratulations: The rest of your 2008 paychecks belong to you and your family. Enjoy!
Oh, you didn't hear?
The "mainstream" media probably didn't tell you, but July 16 was this year's "Cost of Government Day." As Americans for Tax Reform notes, that's the date on which the average American has paid his share of the financial burden imposed by the spending and regulation that occurs on the federal, state and local levels.
And just think: It only took you a little over half a year to do it.
I wish I could say things are improving on the government-cost front, but they're not. This year's date is four days later than it was in 2007 (July 12), and 17 days later than the "Cost of Government Day" notched as recently as 2000. In fact, COGD has fallen later than July 16 only four other times since 1977.
TRENDING: Are you a hypocrite? Or just human?
Something's clearly out of whack. And we know what it is – the free-spending ways of our elected officials in Washington. As Americans for Tax Reform notes in its report on Cost of Government Day, "The driving factor for this development is the fact that all components of the cost of government – federal spending, state and local spending, and regulation – are now increasing faster than national income."
Unfortunately, the solution isn't merely to get politicians to stop spending like teenagers equipped with their parents' credit cards (although that would help). The fact is, the amount of money spent by Washington is already on track – automatically, without politicians lifting a finger – to go through the roof in the years ahead.
The reason? Our national entitlement programs are set to expand rapidly. According to researchers at The Heritage Foundation:
These middle-class retirement programs, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, will cause federal spending to jump by half, from 20 percent of the economy to 30 percent by 2035. This tsunami of spending is a major threat to limited government because it runs on autopilot with automatic increases locked in by each program's governing laws. While other programs are constrained through annual budgets, entitlements get first call on resources. Other goals such as defense or national security must compete for an increasingly smaller share of what's left. This "locked in" spending is steadily undermining the economic future of younger generations, who face a debt burden of $175,000 per person. The moral and ethical challenge from the entitlement tsunami is undermining our democratic system as more Americans become dependent on the government and other priorities are automatically pre-empted.
For years, Heritage and others have warned policymakers in Washington about this gathering storm. And for just as long, those warnings have fallen on deaf ears. Yes, a few brave individual politicians here and there have raised a cry for action. But too many preferred to look the other way. Spooked by political fears (and sometimes because of plain laziness), they've kicked the entitlement can down the road, hoping it would become someone else's problem.
The problem is, that day of reckoning – when the "Big Three" entitlement programs make spending on any other national priorities virtually impossible – is practically here. The baby boomers are retiring, and the tax burden is shifting to the smaller generations behind them. We've got to start addressing this problem now, before it gets even worse.
Fixing it won't be easy. But once we've discarded the "third rail" mentality that has kept us paralyzed politically for years, we can take action. Solutions include raising the retirement age (Social Security, after all, was conceived when life expectancies were lower) and targeting low-income seniors more effectively. And as Heritage's Brian Riedl notes, "In the long run, a more generationally equitable system would add a Social Security option in which individuals set aside money for their own retirement that they own themselves."
Whatever the exact solution, it's clearly time to get involved. Tell others about this grave crisis that threatens to affect all of us. At Heritage, we've made it easy for you to spread the word: Go to alegacyofdebt.com to order a free DVD of a 12-minute program called "A Legacy of Debt." You also can download materials that will help you host a screening of the program for your friends and neighbors.
For too long, we've tried looking the other way. It doesn't work. Only by getting large numbers of people involved, at the community level will we finally get Washington policymakers to take notice – and get busy.
Of course, it won't be easy to get them to fix things. But it sure beats celebrating Cost of Government Day on Christmas.


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The Crossover Distortion pedal harnesses the power of multiband distortion by placing a steep-slope, continuously variable crossover in front of two independent mosfet overdrive circuits.
California (April 16, 2013) -- The Crossover Distortion pedal harnesses the power of multiband distortion by placing a steep-slope, continuously variable crossover in front of two independent mosfet overdrive circuits. Essentially bi-amping in a box, this pedal allows guitar players to create big layered tones previously only accessible in the studio. Its unique circuit design greatly reduces intermodulation distortion, creating an overdriven tone with unprecedented clarity and response to picking dynamics.
The Crossover Distortion is already showing up onstage with innovative guitar players like Eenor Wildeboar (Les Claypool's Frog Brigade, Muz Mezmer, Yard Dogs Road Show), who offered this review of the pedal: "Some appreciate the splitting of the atom, though I suspect with time those in favor of that achievement are justifiably dwindling. A much better split is achieved by those over at Brimstone Audio who have tamed the beast of splatty, fizzy, tinny and muddy tones by splitting the world of overdrive, giving us luscious control of all frequencies found in the wide band of growl punch and rock n roll butter. You guys suck for not making this 20 years ago."
Built to last using the highest quality parts in California, USA, the crossover distortion offers these groundbreaking features:
- Continuously variable crossover: splits signal into highs and lows
- Two independent, discreet, and transparent mosfet overdrive circuits: distort the high and low band separately, reducing intermodulation distortion
- 'Mix' and 'Master' controls: achieve optimal volume and balance between high and low frequencies
- Uniquely designed tone controls for each frequency band
- Metalized film capacitors throughout the audio path: maintains integrity of tone
- Internal 18v power supply from 9v source: provides maximum headroom
The Crossover Distortion pedal carries a retail price of $299.
For more information:
Brimstone Audio


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Allsaid & Dunn
2727 De Anza RD, Suite SD21
San Diego, CA 92109
$24.95 each - 15% off orders of 8 or more
Suggested age - Pre-K through 1st grade
Recently we've been playing a new educational game with our son. As a member of the TOS Review Crew I received a free copy of The Reading Game to use in order to provide this review.
The Reading Game is a curriculum supplement to use while teaching your child to read. The game contains six illustrated storybooks: skunk, snake, bear, penguins, unicorn, and zebra. Each of the books comes with a word matching card game. The games are played in six stages, each of which teaches five words. The card game requires only two players, the student and a tutor. The games are fast paced, with a winner every few seconds, and learning to read becomes fun.
When your child completes stage six of the first game they should be able to read thirty words. The first story is told using those thirty words. The first story is about a skunk without a stripe who is rejected for being different. The skunk is accepted by a group of cats and becomes their defender. Your child adds another thirty words with each game. It's told in rhyme, is beautifully illustrated, and is 32 pages long. It will be the first book the student reads, and there are five more to follow.
By the time your child gets through all of the games they should be able to read 180 words. Of the twenty-five most commonly used English words, twenty-two are on that list; of the forty most commonly used English words –thirty. This is a multi-sensory teaching approach –using the card game play and the storybooks - designed to aid in retention of material and student enjoyment.
Free Individual Student Assessment Worksheets are include to help you see and keep track of your child's progress. There is a Pre/Post Card Game Sight Word Assessment Worksheet and a Test Sentence Assessment Worksheet. At the back of the Teacher and Parent Guide is a list of all 180-vocabulary words.
According to the makers of the game, "By the time students come to the end of the zebra story, 180 words are hard-wired into memory."
• 60% of the words in "The Reading Game" are on the Dolch Word List for pre-k and k and makes up 54% of Dolch words for Pre-K, K and 1st Grade.
• Of the first 100 most commonly used English words "The Reading Game" incorporates 88% of the most common twenty-five words and 63% of the first 100.
Contents include: 6 illustrated story books, 6 decks of matching playing cards, a Teacher and Parent's Guide
So, how did this work for us? We all like this game. My little non-reader is becoming a reader--slowly, but in a fun way. The multi-sensory approach of the game connects for him. He feels like he is accomplishing something and "winning", and we see that he is memorizing words and beginning to try to read. He loves to find the word matches. He loves animals. The best part, he now wants to figure out more words and constantly asks "What do those letters say?" We're not done with all of the games yet, but I'm thinking he'll be reading at a good basic level by the time we read the last story. We'll continue to play this game for reinforcement until he's very comfortable reading. What a fun way to learn what could be a tough subject! It's a keeper! (Wish we would have had this game for my daughter when she started reading.) The age range is appropriate. The price is reasonable for the content and quality of the game.
To find out more about the game click here
To order The Reading Game click here
Click here to see what other members from the TOS Crew had to say about The Reading Game.
Disclaimer: As a member of the TOS Review Crew I received a free copy of the above-mentioned product to use in order to provide this review. I did not and will not receive further compensation. All comments and opinions are my own. I am not obligated to provide a positive review.


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IPFS News Link • Privacy Rights
'No Refusal" DUI Blood Test Goes Nationwide funded on Federal Grant Money
• PRISON PLANET.com"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
The Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution Fourth Article of the Bill of Rights
I really am coming to the conclusion that the States and M.A.D.D.(Mothers Against Drunk Driving) have taken the issue to use drunk driving too far as a way for the state to raise revenue or to take away our God given rights. This nationwide "No Refusal" blood test violates the fourth amendment of the bill of rights because people should enjoy the right to be secure in their persons from unreasonable searches and seizures. That means "hands off my blood"
The no refusal weekend is funded by Federal Grant money from the National Highway Transportation Safety Board to fund no refusal weekends. Even the Austin Police gets federal Grant Money for taking blood on the side of the road with rubber stamp warrants from a judge who stay up all night who just sign a warrant without seeing the accused.
The issue of drunk driving is chasing away business from downtown night clubs and bars from what little patronage they can get in this stagnant economy. I hear from countless people who used to have a beer and drink after work now stay away from many downtown areas because the police have become a predatory force preying on anyone for revenue.
The issue of Drunk Driving is went way too far. Carrie Lightner left her own organization she founded called Mother Against Drunk Driving because the direction the organization it was taking she wanted no part of. I have a problem with "No refusal Weekends"because in Houston Texas is a sanctuary city. How many drunk illegal aliens who are above the legal limit will be allowed to pass through the checkpoints without taking a blood test. If any illegal alien is jabbed with a needle. We will hear cries from the Mexican government for racism.Yes Texas has a high rate of Alcoholic related traffic fatalities. I wonder how many of the percentage is illegal aliens compared to American Citizens.
I think it is time we throw the book at the system. If anyone is accused of driving drunk and the person knows they are not impaired. Exercise the right to a trial by jury and not be at the mercy of a judge who has a business on the side running a Drug and Alcohol School were he sends people to as a punishment. It think it is time to expose the DUI/DWI scam to a jury of our peers. If they just use a video tape. It will be really obvious the state does not meet the burden of proof. I think it is time to use the jury box as a veto against Law Enforcement and the system using an emotional issue of Drunk Driving to squeeze revenue out of the people.
I do not trust these crime labs either. If any of you think all crime labs are like the C.S.I. TV Show. I have ocean front property in Round Rock Texas I want to sell you.Crime labs in Texas have been known to botch evidence to get a guilty conviction and the chain of evidence I find highly questionable with handling blood samples.
If they were really serious about stopping drunk drivers. The National Highway Transportation Safety Board would work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement start deporting illegal alien Drunk Drivers. We hear nothing on this concern. I say tonight this News Years Eve. Stay home or if at party.Sleep over or have a place to stay close by. Take a cab or have a designated driver if you decide to go out. Lets make all Drunk Driving stops be all Illegal Aliens. Maybe the police will wake and see the scam and see they are not allowed to jab them with a needle but have to take ours.
These no refusal blood test need to be challenged. The burden of proof lies with the state to justify probable cause if you are drunk or not. Just because they refuse a breathalyzer test because the calibration is out of whack to make everyone guilty will now force us to have our blood drawn without a warrant not knowing the chain of evidence were the risk of being tampered. Just remember to repeat and say to the officer if they do take your blood for no reason"I do not consent". We must not allow the system to use Drunk Driving as a way to take our liberties and rights away.


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© Scott D. Smith/Retna Ltd./Corbis
The remaining members of Heaven and Hell have no concrete plans for the future just yet, Vinny Appice has revealed.
Vinny told Sea of Tranquility that he, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler have been in touch such the passing of legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio, but no decisions have been made about the musical future of the trio.
The drummer also spoke about his relationship with Dio, saying: "He became my bandmate, but also more importantly a brother, leader and a best friend.
"We had many things in common, most of all the desire to play on '11' each night and kick each others butt onstage. I really miss being around him and it feels like we are going to start rehearsing soon and he will be there."
Last week, Wendy Dio called on Appice, Butler and Iommi to continue working together, but under a different name.


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This is a very basic question of course, and exposes my serious ignorance of analytic number theory, but what I am looking for is a good intuitive explanation rather than a formal proof (though a sufficiently short formal proof could count as an intuitive explanation). So, for instance, a proof that estimated a contour integral and thereby showed that the number of zeros inside the contour was greater than zero would not count as a reason. A brief glance at Wikipedia suggests that the Hadamard product formula could give a proof: if there are no non-trivial zeros then you get a suspiciously nice formula for ζ(s) itself. But that would feel to me like formal magic. A better bet would probably be Riemann's explicit formula, but that seems to require one to know something about the distribution of primes. Perhaps a combination of the explicit formula and the functional equation would do the trick, but that again leaves me feeling as though something magic has happened. Perhaps magic is needed.
A very closely related question is this. Does the existence of non-trivial zeros on the critical strip imply anything about the distribution of prime numbers? I know that it implies that the partial sums of the Möbius and Liouville functions cannot grow too slowly, and it's really this that I want to understand.


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The usage of onion and garlic in an Indian kitchen is indispensable - thanks to the exceptionally amazing flavour they offer to curries, stir fries, stew, soup and what not. Both the ingredients, belonging to the allium family, not only add to the flavour, but also have numerous health benefits to offer. However, Ayurveda suggests that one shouldn't consume excessive amount of onion and garlic. Ayurveda defines nutritional properties of food based on six tastes that include sweet, salty, bitter, sour, pungent and astringent, and their qualities namely, sattva, rajas and tamas. While both onion and garlic are considered excellent foods, they still are not favoured by Ayurveda.
According to Ayurveda expert from NirogStreet, Ram N Kumar, "Ayurveda is not against eating onion and garlic; in fact, garlic is deemed as an important medicine in Ayurveda. However, onion is considered tamasic (makes people irritable) and garlic is known to be rajsic (disturbed sleep and drained energy) in nature, which means both these ingredients produce heat in the body. While body needs some amount of heat, excessive heat may only lead to increased risk of health problems."Undoubtedly, Ayurveda prizes onion and garlic as powerful medicines and do not recommend avoiding them. Ayurveda principles are generally confused with spirituality and yoga that recommend a no onion and no garlic diet, as they both are believed to distract an individual's focus and attention.
Health Benefits Of Onion And Garlic
Both the ingredients have a long list of health benefits. Garlic has often been considered as a wonder drug. It has been used to prevent infections due to its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, and it is also known to reduce chances of cancer; thanks to its anti-carcinogenic properties. Onions, on the other hand, are known to reduce inflammation, remove toxins, normalise digestion and reduce cough. These are just a few health benefits attributed to the two humble kitchen ingredients.
So, go ahead and add these two foods in your daily diet; just remember anything in excess is bad for your health and moderation is the key.
Superfoods load a big punch of nutrition in a small crunch. Dietary substances that provide large proportions of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants etcetera are referred as 'superfoods'. They are a vital part of a truly balanced diet. Superfoods have gained quite a popularity in the recent days as the food trends evolve rapidly over the social media. They may perhaps not fulfil your gluttonous cravings, but they will definitely fulfil your body's nutritional requirements in a rather small quantity.
In addition to being a powerhouse of nutrients and providing all the essential ones, they have various other health benefits as well. Some superfoods have specialised benefits as well, such as tomatoes, which contain high amounts of potassium, fibre, and vitamin C. They also make your immune system stronger and resistant to countless other major and minor diseases.
As the term evolves and more and more people come to know about its benefits, the term 'superfoods' has been exploited so much by packed food manufacturers and global food brands alike. The food industry labels its regular products as 'superfoods' and charges an exuberant sum of money from its consumers. The labelling is not even supported by any scientific research or claims. The European Union has banned the term 'superfoods' in addition to other health claims on packaging unless supported by scientific evidence.
In order to counter this ban, giants in the food industry are spending thousands of dollars on academic research. This is being done in order to support the health claims mentioned on the packaging and make their product a 'superfood'. Some have even been successful in doing so. But the problem yet prevails as the researches are more than often conducted on concentrated extracts of food. Thus the claimed benefits may not be found in the natural state of foods.
But you need not spend an exuberant sum of money to include these so-called 'superfoods' in your diet. Instead, you can find them lying around your house. Broccoli, oats, cinnamon, turmeric, tomatoes are a few to mention. You can find these items for a rather cheap price in any supermarket.
Superfoods may appear to be a new concept as the trend evolves via social media. But if we contemplate our past, we'll realise that superfoods are around for a rather long time.
If you look back a couple of hundred years or so in the modern history when medicines, as we know them now, were yet a fantasy, you'll find mentions of these superfoods. If a person fell ill, he'd be medicated by a variety of herbs, roots and other parts of a plant. Examples of such superfoods with medicinal properties include turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and almonds among countless others. These age-old medical herbs and vegetables evolved into what we refer as 'superfoods'.
The ancient Indians were aware of these superfoods long before the knowledge spread to the western world. The Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, had mentions of these superfoods. The Ayurvedic superfoods also form an important part of Indian festivals and festivities. Almonds, ghee, honey, saffron etcetera form a crucial part of the offerings offered to Gods and deities in the festivals all over the country. These Ayurvedic superfoods occupy an important part of the Indian taste palate. Here are few of the most important superfoods according to the Ayurveda.
1. Ginger: Ginger is a well-known ingredient that is found not only in a majority of Indian and western dishes alike, it's something that it is commonly available in our houses. It is known as the 'Healing Spice of Ayurveda'. Fresh ginger could provide relief from nausea and dried ginger is useful for joint pains.
2. Turmeric:Turmeric, the superfood that is gaining international popularity day-by-day, has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It may provide relief in symptoms of various skin conditions and could also regulate the blood sugar levels. It plays a vital role as a medicine in Ayurveda.
3. Ghee: Ghee or clarified butter, as it's commonly known, is a gem of Ayurveda. It is, in fact, healthier than butter or refined oil and is known to even control cholesterol, thanks to its content of omega-3 fatty acids. According to Ayurveda, it must be consumed daily in order to maintain a healthy eyesight and radiant skin.
4. Cinnamon: Cinnamon, the "super spice", was more expensive than gold in the ancient days. It improves digestion and blood circulation, removes toxins from the body, and was originally used in the effective treatment of respiratory and sinus congestion, bronchitis, colds, and the flu.
The Ayurveda is filled with an exuberant amount of such superfoods. Dates, almonds, honey, saffron, basmati rice are a few to mention. Ayurveda encouraged people to inculcate these superfoods in their daily and regular diet in order to lead a healthy lifestyle and prevent falling sick.
In fact, our bodies have an amazing ability to heal themselves, given that it is not lacking a healthy supply of essential nutrients. Superfoods, as mentioned before, are nutritionally very dense and are loaded with the nutrients that our bodies need to stay healthy.
Nature itself wants to eat superfoods, thus it has blessed us with abundant of superfoods that can serve as our staple diet. Moreover, nature bestows upon us with the superfoods in specific conditions that are best for us in that particular weather, such as summer or winter, or geographical location such as the plains or the coasts. For example, root vegetables that are superfoods such as carrots, radish, turnips etcetera are abundant in nature. They have high mineral and nutrient content, which is essential in the winters since the nutritional requirement of the body increases in the winters. On the contrary, watermelon is a superfood that is abundant in summers. It has high water content, which is crucial for summers. It is low in sugar and high in vitamins A and C.
In fact, if you niche down the fruits, vegetables and other dietary substances that flower in a particular season, it is a superfood that nature itself is begging you to consume.
Yet, there are superfoods that must be consumed throughout the year to maintain a healthy body. Below are some superfoods that you can easily include in your daily diet.
Eggs: Eggs are superfoods that are available throughout the year and have high nutritional values. Moreover, they are very easy-to-cook. They are a powerhouse of potassium, folic acid and vitamins.
Broccoli: A handful of broccoli has way more calcium than a glass of milk. The superfood also has an abundant quantity of minerals and vitamins.
Oats: Oats are a rich source of fibre, magnesium, potassium, and phytonutrients. The fibre in oats may lower blood sugar level. It is a superfood with which you should start your day.
Salmon: Salmon is a healthy superfood that is packed with a great amount of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Almonds: Almonds are one of the most nutritious and healthy nuts, with large amounts of potassium, calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, and iron.
Millets: Millet is a gluten-free superfood with high amounts of vitamins. Various studies have proved that it may be even healthier than whole wheat.
As essential as it is to make superfoods an integral part of your diet, it's equally essential to stay away from artificial superfoods. Instead, try to consume those nutritionally rich foods that are abundant in nature.
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that refers to the 'science of life and longevity'. Ayurveda adopts a holistic approach towards healthy living and is considered to be one of the oldest medicinal systems in the world. Though native to India, this philosophy has gained popularity all around the world. The base of Ayurvedic philosophy is to balance the body, mind and spirit. Both prevention and healing are carried out through natural means.
According to Ayurveda, each person is born with a life force that comprises the five elements or building blocks of nature: Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Space. We possess a unique balance of these five elements in varying degrees. This balance of elements is known as a Dosha. There are three fundamental doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha, and good health is considered to be a perfect state of balance between these three doshas.
Vata is constituted by space and air, which is the energy of movement; fire and water constitute pitta, the principle of digestion and metabolism; and water and earth make up kapha, the dosha of structure and lubrication. Unhealthy diet, stress, repressed emotions and insufficient exercise are considered to be elements that disturb ones' doshic balance. Hence, to maintain the balance and good health, a person has to juggle with the three doshas, and increase or decrease them, as conditions demand. In simple words, health means order and balance, whereas disease is disorder and imbalance. Everyone has all the three doshas, but one of them is usually primary, the other secondary and the third one is the least prominent.
The Three Doshas: An Overview
1. Vata: Vata is considered as the leader of the three Ayurvedic principles in the body. As the principle of mobility, Vata regulates all activity in the body, mental as well as physiological. It is responsible for breathing, blinking our eyes, beating of our heart and many more functions. When in balance, the Vata is lively and energetic. Adequate rest and relaxation is needed to keep the vata in balance. Dry skin, cough and dry hair are some problems that one may face when the vata is imbalanced.
2. Pitta: Pitta is the fire element. It is responsible for regulating the body temperature through the chemical transformation of food (governing digestion, absorption, assimilation, nutrition and metabolism), promoting vitality and appetite. Those dominated by the pitta dosha are strong willed, determined and tend to have leadership qualities. If the pitta is imbalanced, it can lead to anger and agitation, and may even cause burning disorders such as ulcers and inflammation. To maintain a balance, meditation, massages and inhaling cooling scents such as rose, mint and lavender can help relax the body.
3. Kapha: This dosha maintains body resistance. Those dominated by kapha are said to be thoughtful, calm and steady. To maintain a balance, gentle exercises, stimulating activities and an extra intake of fluids can keep the energy flowing. Kapha is primarily responsible for anabolism, the process of building the body, growth and creation of new cells as well as cell repair.
What determines your dosha?
Ayurveda Specialist, Dr. Surya Bhagwati from Dr. Vaidya's explains, "The human body is made up of 5 elements -air, ether, earth, water and fire. A combination of these five elements determines one's 'prakriti' or constitution. Ayurveda defines the combination of these five elements into three doshas: vata, pitta and kapha. Although each human body is composed of all the three doshas, each body has a different combination of them and this determines one's genetically inherited physical and personality traits. Through one's life, these constitutions may change based on physical, mental and emotional. conditions. It is important to identify one's dosha and then create a lifestyle that suits it. This means adopting a diet and daily routine based on one's dosha."
Ayurveda divides the different body types into seven categories. Hence, it is possible for a person to be: vata, pitta, kapha, vata-pitta, pitta-kapha, vata-kapha, or tri-dosha. However, there is no 'best' or 'perfect' body type or dosha. Each of the categories have their own advantages and disadvantages.
What to Eat for Your Dosha An imbalance of doshas in the body can be checked with the help of herbal remedies, warm oil massages, yoga, and your diet. To balance each dosha, certain foods need to be consumed while some need to be avoided.
Balancing Kapha: One of the major reasons for kapha imbalance is excessive food consumption, and therefore, a light, low-fat diet of bitter, pungent, and astringent tastes is recommended. This can include steamed or raw vegetables, ripe fruits, grains like oats, rye, barley and millets, honey and strong spices like pepper, cardamom, cloves, mustard and turmeric. According to Ayurveda expert, Dr. Dhanvantri Tyagi, "Kapha prakriti should avoid fats, milk and rice in their daily diet but can consume them occasionally."
After creating ripples in the country and abroad for it's home-based and natural cures, Ayurveda may soon be eying the territory which has had doctors and scientist abroad worked up since decades- Cancer. So says, the Union Minister of State AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik
The ancient medicinal practice of Ayurveda has taken the global circuit by storm with its cure to various skin and health ailments. And Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), is tirelessly working to revive the glory and reinstating people's faith in the ancient practice, which according to them has the cure to the severest of ailments.
Recently, Naik hinted about the ongoing research in Auyrveda , which may bring about the cure to cancer in the recent future. This comes soon after his earlier statement on a yoga-based cure to diabetes and cancer.
Naik said, that they have reached a stage where just like chemotherapy, they can treat cancer but the treatment would be without the side effects of chemotherapy. Naik said, beaming in confidence that research is on along with American scientists to find a cure for cancer. On completion of the research, in the appropriate way, they will find and prepare the medicine for major diseases and a cure for cancer will come.
Earlier last year, the Minister had stated that Yoga-based cure for diseases such as diabetes and cancer developed by Bengaluru-based Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana was on the pipeline.
Praising the natural healing properties and treatment of Ayurveda, Naik also said that the Ministry had set itself a target to establish an AYUSH center in every district to promote the ancient medicinal practice of India.
Are you tired of hearing the latest pitch on how to lose weight, when all you want to do is to just gain some kilos instead?
Unfortunately, this is the truth; there is way too much information on how to lose weight but barely anything on how to gain weight, especially in a healthy and balanced way. But the good news is that you can turn to Ayurveda for some solutions to put on weight the right way and the best part is that it determines your optimal weight not by the number on the weighing scale but by your body constitution- kapha, vata and pitta. Here are few important strategies that may help you gain weight in a way that it does not hamper your overall health. The Ayurvedic approach is healthy, simple and holistic along with being effective.According to Ayurvedacharya Dr. Partap Chauhan, Director, Jiva Ayurveda, "A person should always maintain healthy weight - not too much and not too less. Ayurveda recommends 'balance' or an 'optimum state' in everything, including your body weight. That said, if you are recuperating from an illness or you are very thin and you want to gain weight, do it gradually and naturally. Do not rely on weight-gain supplements which may cause liver and kidney problems. A healthy person, with appropriate weight for his or her age and height is more likely to have good immunity and lead a happy life."
As per Ayurveda, people with Vata dominant physiology are typically thin, while people with Kapha dominant physiology tend to be overweight. So, if you have a Vata body-type, there is a limit to how 'fat' you can become. Instead of worrying about gaining weight, it is imperative to focus on being strong and healthy.
Dr. Chauhan lists down some tips that Ayurveda suggests in order to gain weight in a healthy way-
- Include soy bean in diet. Soy is high in protein and is perfect if you are a vegetarian looking for good sources of protein. Eat a fruit or drink fresh fruit juice, if possible every day or at least three times a week. If your diet includes non-vegetarian foods, you can add any meat of your choice twice a week.
- Include more curd, ghee, milk, sugarcane, rice, black gram and wheat in your daily diet. These are all good for gaining weight in a healthy manner.
- Gaining weight doesn't mean you don't have to exercise. In order to gain weight healthily, one must exercise regularly to allow the body to metabolize the food you have consumed and further keep your appetite strong.
- Small quantities of spices such as cinnamon, garlic, ginger, cardamom, clove and black pepper in your diet help in stimulating your appetite.
- Sleep well at night. Get at least eight hours of proper sleep. Avoid distractions before going to bed, like mobile phones or laptops. Drink a glass of cow's milk with a pinch of turmeric for a sound sleep.
- Eat in a normal speed, neither too fast, nor too slow. Eating at a normal speed stimulates the salivary glands, which aids digestion.
- Do not watch television, use your mobile phone or read while you are eating. Eat actively and allow your body to be engaged in the act of eating.
- Choose a clean and noise-free environment to have your meals.
- Do not drink a lot of water before or after meals. You may take small sips during meals if you need. In winters, you can sip lukewarm water during meals.
- Massaging the body with sesame oil allows the muscles and bones to become strong. It also promotes blood circulation which will carry nutrients to all parts of your body.
As per Ayurveda, people with Vata dominant physiology are typically thinHome remedies to gain weight,
Take equal amounts (50 grams) of figs, almonds, dates and raisins. Add 100 grams of gur (sugarcane jaggery). Saute it in cow's ghee until it takes a jelly-like consistency. Eat this twice daily, after meals.
3 - 5 grams of Ashwagandha and Shatavar powder taken every morning and night with milk will help you gain weight.
So, if you are looking to add those extra kilos, make sure you do it in a healthy way.


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OWENSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Health officials say at least some of the salmonella-contaminated cantaloupe that has sickened nearly 200 in 21 states came from a southwestern Indiana farm, but they warned Thursday that until they've ruled out any other possible sources, people should avoid cantaloupe grown in that part of the state.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Wednesday identified Chamberlain Farms, in Owensville, as a source of the outbreak, which it blames for sickening 178 people since early July, including 62 who were hospitalized and two who have died.
Shelly Burgess, an FDA spokeswoman, said Thursday that the investigation is still in its early stages and that it is too early to say whether all the contaminated fruit could be traced back to the farm.
Health officials warn residents to discard any cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana bought on or after July 7.
Tim Chamberlain, who runs the 100-acre Chamberlain Farms, said it stopped producing and distributing cantaloupe on Aug. 16, when the FDA alerted him that the fruit could be tainted.
"We've had no production," he said.
John Broadhead, an attorney for the farm, said it voluntarily withdrew its cantaloupes last week and that all of its retail and wholesale purchasers complied with the recall.
The farm, which is about 20 miles north of Evansville, sold cantaloupes to grocery stores in four southwestern Indiana counties and one in southeastern Illinois, Broadhead said in a statement. The fruit also was sold to wholesale purchasers in St. Louis; Owensboro, Ky.; Peru, Ill., and Durant, Iowa.
Burgess said it isn't known how many cantaloupes the farm sold since people started getting sick.
Salmonella is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the U.S. and can contaminate a wide range of foods, including eggs, meat, unpasteurized dairy products and juices, raw melon and alfalfa sprouts, nuts and even spices. It causes diarrhea, fever and cramps, and although most people recover without treatment, it can cause serious illness in older people, infants and those with chronic diseases, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC.
Chamberlain said health officials haven't told him what may have caused the contamination, so the farm hasn't been able to take steps to fix the problem.
"We're waiting for the government agencies to tell us what to do," he said.
Chamberlain said he has had no other problems at the farm since it began operating in 1982.
Federal officials blamed tainted processing equipment and water at a Colorado cantaloupe farm for a listeriosis outbreak that killed 30 people last year.
Indiana ranked fourth in the nation in cantaloupe production last year. Chamberlain said his farm would be considered medium-sized by Indiana standards.